For as long as I can remember, there has been a man I have always looked up to as my hero. That man is my cousin, Fire Chief Stan Laatsch.

When I was a young boy, I remember him being in the Navy and the love and admiration my mother had for him, not only because he was her nephew, but also because he was one of those very special people who dedicated himself to the service of others. Over the years, I have grown a deep level of pride and admiration for Stan myself, and I understand today more than ever that his heart, character and integrity has been the guiding force of his incredible career as a firefighter.

After his term in the Navy was complete, Stan was hired as a recruit firefighter in June of 1977 and has been serving the Fire Department for the past 33 years. Stan was promoted to Lieutenant in 1985, Captain in 1992, Battalion Chief in 1997, Assistant Fire Chief in 2005 and became Fire Chief for the Auburn, WA Fire Department on May 16, 2007. His full list of accomplishments and accolades is far too long to list, but name just a few...

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• Officer of the Year in 1988 and again in 2002
• Medal of Merit for performance at an emergency incident 
• 6 Meritorious Unit Citations for performance at emergency incidents
• Numerous Letters of Commendation
• Degree in Fire Command and Administration
• Teaching CPR to Auburn School District students for 5 years
• Chairperson of the King County Regional Hazardous Materials
• Years of involvement in Toys-for-Kids at Christmas 
• Instructor at the North Bend fire recruit academy
• Instructor for emergency medical technician continuing education
• Secretary / Treasurer and executive board member of the Firefighter Union 
• Special training for Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings  

As you can see, Stan Laatsch is a very special man and is not only my hero, but is also a hero to many other people whose lives he has served and saved over the many years. In reflection of his firefighting career, Stan was quoted as saying:  "Dedication is not limited to special moments, but by a continued commitment to not letting other individuals or situations influence your work ethic. Meaning, always doing the right thing, even when no one sees or knows about it. Remembering that you do not compete with others, you compete against yourself and your personal standards."

Those words may not be easy to live by, but I know this is the credo Stan has lived by and is exactly what heroes are made of. I could not be more proud to call Fire Chief Stan Laatsch my family, my example, my friend and MY HERO! God Bless you Stan!

With love and admiration,

Brian Rinke

The idea for this statue was instantaneous when I was informed that the foundation for the World Trade Center was accepting design bids for the memorial in 2002. After learning that the current style of design was geared more towards benches and gardens, I put aside my idea for several years.

In the summer of 2009 the concept of the probable chaos in the stairwell came back to me while talking to trusted friend Brian Rinke. His encouragement along with the same from my wife, Marlene, led me to make a brave decision, one that defines the American dream. Namely, I decided to take a big risk with no guarantees.

Marlene found the fine arts foundry of Elliot Gantz who referred us to sculptor Carter Jones. Carter's studio is located just several blocks north of Ground Zero. In late 2009 Carter and I started creating "A Day of Service". Since I have trouble drawing stick figures, I was unable to illustrate my ideas. It was a slow process to explain my vision to Carter and for him to sculpt it. Together we created the statue which combines 50 or so individual figures and groups, as well as numerous bas reliefs.

As I mentioned in the DVD, I believe this creation is greatly needed and is for everyone regardless of your race, religion or politics. Every aware individual was involved on September 11, 2001 and every one of you has your own story and need for reflection. I hope this piece brings it to you.